The Corruption
The Corruption is perhaps the single largest Necromorph entity on either the [[USG Ishimura|USG Ishimura]], Aegis VII, [[USG O'Bannon|USG O´Bannon]], and The Sprawl in terms of sheer potential mass. While it poses no direct threat to Isaac Clarke, its unsteady texture and surface slow him down when trod upon, making him an easier target for other Necromorphs. It's also been documented to remove free oxygen from the atmosphere and metabolizing it into unknown poisonous gases in conjunction with Wheezers, posing a threat to the long term existence of Isaac and any remaining crew of the Ishimura.Dead Space: Atmosphere Contaminated Description The Corruption is one of the first stages of the Necromorph infestation, and the most prominent indicator of the bio-recombinant abilities that all Necromorphic lifeforms possess. Wherever present, larger numbers of Necromorphs are usually encountered. This was observed on the Aegis VII Colony when Gabe Weller, Nathan McNeill and Karklins entered the colony morgue, only to discover that the bodies stored there were gone without any sign of an Infector having been present. The implication here is that the bodies of the morgue occupants were combined to form the Corruption. Also, a log found on the Ishimura's Engineering Deck explains the provenance of the Corruption, and it is documented that Corruption already started spreading throughout the Ishimura while there were still numerous survivors on board. Overall, the Corruption acts primarily as both an environmental adjuster and a universal source of ready biomass for rapid recombination. This latter use of the Corruption is most clearly evidenced by Guardians. The Corruption is only active in the presence of a Marker signal. Relationship with Necromorphs It is revealed through ship logs, read to Isaac by Kendra Daniels, that the Corruption is a habitat changer. This suggests that the Necromorphs could not easily infest the ship without its presence and that the hostile creatures would be very weak without it. The Corruption is also able to produce Pods during certain events. In addition to being a habitat changer, the Corruption helps the Necromorphs adapt to the various environments they travel through, such as Zero-Gravity areas and vacuum. Trivia *The Corruption is filled with gases, as evidenced by periodic bursts of the matter expelled by the Corruption every so often. *According to Gabe Weller in Dead Space: Extraction, the Corruption smells like vomit. *The growth has a slick or sticky surface, evidenced by the fact that Isaac treads carefully and heavily when walking over it. Security officer McNeill encounters its properties on a large portion of the substance in Chapter 3: Return To The Megavents of Dead Space: Extraction. *In Dead Space: Salvage, scans show that the Corruption is only 70% human. *For reasons unknown, in Dead Space: Downfall the Corruption, at one point in the movie, has two "lungs", which make a breathing sound similar to Isaac's. *In Dead Space 2, the Corruption is not as common as it is in Dead Space. This is because the Necromorph outbreak would need a much greater amount of time to spread as thoroughly throughout the vast, wide-open environs of Titan Station than in the cramped, self-contained areas of the USG Ishimura. *Cysts, Guardians, and Nests can only grow and appear around The Corruption. *In an audio log, it is said that Corruption is comprised of human DNA, and also that it changes in the presence of a Marker signal. *In Dead Space (mobile), Karrie Norton encounters Enhanced Brutes in a room filled with the Corruption. During the fight with the Brute, other enhanced Necromorphs (Slashers, Exploders, and Pregnants) assist it. Throughout the game, the Corruption is on the walls and floor, sometimes creating a bridge that can be traversed. However, the Corruption contains no Necromorphs and is, therefore, not a threat in this game. *Also in Dead Space (mobile), Vandal can walk and run normally over the Corruption as if it wasn't there. This is most likely an overlook by the developers. Gallery IPod-1_042.png|Karrie Norton walking through a hallway that is covered with Corruption. IPod-1_046.png|A more violent form of the Corruption, including bodies hanging from the ceiling and mummified. Immature Guardian.jpg|Example of the Corruption's symbiosis. Sources Corruption